Peng Hui took a moment before he asked the clerk, "Can you tell me more about this artifact?"
"Certainly", the puppet clerk responded, "This artifact has the same purpose as the cultivation rooms downstairs, but the way it performs is very different. You only pay the registration fee once, and by the hour from then on. When you register, you will be given a jade slip that is used with the artifact. This is yours, and you will have to pay if you lose or break it. Once you enter the artifact and wear the special mask, you can cultivate like normal or you can choose several options. At anytime you wish to exit, just think about it and you will return to your seat."
Peng Hui feel like he understood most of the instructions, but there was something the clerk mentioned that made it seem like he would travel somewhere. Resolving himself, he placed 16 low quality spirit stones on the counter.
'It will take Junior Sister Mei sometime to wait in line, so two hours should be enough', he told himself.
The clerk took the stones, and handed him a jade slip, "Daoist, your artifact is number 1, please enjoy."
The clerk bowed, and Peng Hui gave a slight bow as well before seeing that the artifacts were numbered. He made his way to the artifact with a flag marked 001, and when he was got close, the door opened allowing him to enter.
To his surprise, smooth music started to play, and a voice spoke to him, "Daoist Peng Hui, welcome to Heaven & Earth's ultimate cultivation artifact. Please place your Jade slip in the appropriate place, and wear the mask. To your right is the mask required to connect to the artifact, place it on your head as demonstrated by the image given."
Peng Hui looked and saw a light screen had appeared, and he saw moving images showing him how to properly wear the mask.
Peng Hui took the Jade slip and slid it into the location highlighted, by both the image and a circle of light on the console. Then he grabbed the mask from its normally stored location, and placed it on his face. Everything was only was only dark a few moments, and in literally a blink of an eye, the darkness changed to a room.
"Welcome Peng Hui, this the virtual realm", the same voice began speaking again, "Press start to began your session, but do not wait too long or you will cause trouble for others."
Peng Hui looked around the room, and noticed that it really felt like he traveled to a new world. He couldn't even tell that he was wearing a mask, but he exited and came back to make sure everything was fine. Everything felt so real, but he said out loud to start.
"Session start!", a cheerful voice said, "This is your first time here, but I've seen that you previously scanned your vitals before. Also it seems you've been practicing the recommended method, so I'll move to the next step. Please notice the signs pointing to the different doors leaving this room. To the east is the training room, where you can been scanned again, gain further recommendations on methods or techniques, or perform spiritual or mental exercises. Due to your actually body not moving, it's impossible to performing physical training, but the memory of physical exercises can be imprinted on your mind if you choose to do so. The next room is the Arena, and here you can battle many different opponents. The first selection is the tower in which you battle against fake monsters or enemies to try and advance to the top. The second selection is to battle against other guests who are using the artifact as well. The third choice is battling as at team. The last option for Arena is to fight against a copy of yourself based on the information stored on the Jade slip. Please remember that you will feel the pain from the battles, but even if you're killed in this realm, you are safe and will simply appear again in this room. The next room is the adventure room, and there are two types of adventure currently: Hunting monsters, and Musuo. When you hunt monsters or battle in Musuo mode, you can do so as a team or by yourself. When hunting monsters, you will have track your target, and use whatever means to capture or kill it. In Musuo mode, you will be placed in a large battlefield and will have to fight while achieving certain goals to win. The last door leads to the setting menu where you can customize your starting room according to your preference. You have no items now, but as you gain achievements, complete missions or make purchases, this option will be available."
Peng Hui was in awe after the long explanation, but then he realized he had to choose now.
'With an experience like this, it would be a waste to try the training exercises', he thought, 'Also, with no other opponents other than illusions to fight, I can't feel excited about the arena. Then it's settled.'
Peng Hui walked through the door with the 'Adventure' sign, and was greeted with two more doors: Monster Slayer and Musuo. He walked through the door for Monster Slayer, and was amazed when he went from a mediocre room to small village bordered by a jungle. He looked back and saw the previous room he was in, and was about to head back when someone called him.
"Hey rookie! It seems you just got off the ship, well, are you ready to hunt in the new world?", a tall, broad, and tanned man greeted him.
"What?", Peng Hui asked.
'Did that illusion just speak to me?', he marveled at how real everything felt.
A hand slapped him on the shoulder, "I know it was rough trip here, but it seems to have affected you greatly. Get it together, we are short on hands here trying to build up the base, so venture to the edge of the woods and kill 10 smaller animals for tonight's feast."
The man walked away to take care of something else, and Peng Hui shrugged before walking through the front gate of the base. Peng Hui was confident because he had participated in many eliminations of spiritual beasts for his sect before, so he was confident when he reached the area before the tree became thicker. It did not take long to find a small group of what looked to be lizards, but these wear almost his size and almost as long as a cart.
Peng Hui quickly ran up to the group of five, and went to strike the last one when it noticed his approach. He charged and swung at it, cutting off the tip of its tail causing the lizard to screech. The full group immediately scattered in different directions as the injuries lizard spun around to face him. He let out his Qi sense and could see the other four, but they were much quicker than he estimated, and had surrounded him already.
The two closest to his back lunged towards him, and he used his movement technique to dodge, but was surprised when the injured one and another had already moved to meet him at his escape route. He dodge the injured one, but the other was about bite his hand in the chaos. He used his sword and stabbed his attacker through the eye, before backing away. He felt two sensations after establishing space between him and the other four lizards: the first was the purest and cool feeling of Qi, so pure that it seemed to be absorb with virtually no refinement at all. The second was more malicious, and Peng Hui panicked when he realized the lizards were venomous. He did not feel pain, however, but the opposite as his body began to go numb, and it became harder to cycle his Qi. He fended off a few more attacks, but soon he could no longer defend himself and the lizards rushed in for the kill. He was able to get a lucky shot before his consciousness faded, followed by another fusion of Qi, and then he opened his eyes again.
Peng Hui sat up and looked at the unfamiliar room before noticing the same man that greeted him before and a much older man.
"He is awake, Wei Long", the older man seemed to be scolding the large man, "Next time before you send a rookie out, give him a better explanation."
Wei Long looked guilty as the older man exited the room.
"Where am I?", Peng Hui inquired.
"This is your room", Wei Long explained, "Please accept my apology, Peng Hui. Elder Li was correct, I was eager to leave on my own mission and did not properly prepare you for yours. Luckily, I saw those chamegrases attack you, and could get you back to base where they could administer the antidote in time."
"It is fine, Daoist Wei", Peng Hui responded, "I also overestimated my abilities as well."
"Don't call me Daoist Wei", Wei Long rebuffed him, "Here in Azure Dragon village, I am Hunter Wei."
Suddenly, Peng Hui felt a presence near his real body, so he exited this 'Virtual realm' and sat up his seat. He looked, and saw Mei Lingxue looking back at him.
"Senior Brother, the Daoists downstairs said you might be up here being scammed by this strange artifact", Mei Lingxue commented.
"Those cowards", Peng Hui sneered, "If they knew what I just went through, they would be lining up for this floor and not the first floor. Junior sister Mei, you must try it."
Peng Hui took his Jade slip out of the artifact, and walked back to the counter.
"I want to register my junior sister here, reserve add four hours to her account, and add three to my own", he said as he placed the appropriate number of spirit stones on the counter.
"Of course", the clerk replied, "Everything is ready, Cultivation artifact 002 is ready for your use."
The pair walked back to the artifacts as Peng Hui shared his experiences with his junior sister. He was quickly able to reenter, but wasn't sure how long it would take for her. He started to get impatient, and even asked out loud in frustration.
"How am I supposed to know if she successfully entered the artifact?", he spoke aloud.
"Would you like to see all guests that are currently in the Virtual realm?", the artifact asked
"I can do that? Yes!", he responded quickly.
A new window appeared, and on it he saw two names: his own, and Mei Lingxue.
"How to contact her?", Peng Hui decided to ask the voice.
"You must send an invitation to other guests if you wish to contact them, let me show you how", the helpful voice replied.
Soon, both disciples had appeared in the starting city of Monster Slayer.
"Wow! This feels so real!", Mei Lingxue exclaimed, "If I didn't know that I was laying in an artifact, I would assume we entered a secret realm."
"Yes, and just wait for what's coming ", Peng Hui told her, "Oh look, Hunter Wei is coming now."
"Just in time, you two", Hunter Wei said as he approached, "Let me take you around the village, and you can prepare for your first mission."
"Thank you, Hunter Wei", the pair said as the slightly bowed.
Over the next ten minutes, the three visited all the important spots in the village, and even Peng Hui had to be amazed by everything. As Hunter Wei showed them the potions, traps, pills, talismans, arrays, and weapons, Peng Hui could see how ill prepared he was previously.
"Alright, I think I showed you everything",
Hunter Wei remarked, "I have to join my team, and head out again, but I'll make sure I stop by on the way home and make sure you both made it home safe."
The large man picked up the largest war saber either of them had ever seen before, and walked off while whistling.
"Shall we?", Peng Hui said as the pair made their way towards their own mission as well.
Fang Shi was looking at the clock, there just a few more minutes before his shift ended, and then he could eat his dinner. What he really was excited for was the cultivation pod, he had been bored for so long since transmigrating to this world, and he finally had something to pass the time.
The clock finally showed sundown, and the puppet who watched the store had just walked down, so Fang Shi stood up and allowed his 'employee' to relief him. As he walked around the counter, and was about to reach the stairs he saw someone familiar to him behind him.
"Daoist Peng, it's a pleasure to see you again", Fang Shi said with a slight bow before he saw the young lady next to him.
"This is my junior sister Mei Lingxue", Peng Hui introduced his fellow disciple, "Junior Sister, this is Owner Fang Shi, the owner of the Heaven & Earth Pavilion."
Suddenly, she spoke very loud and quickly,
"Are you responsible for the wonderful cultivation artifacts on the second?", she asked, "Those were so amazing, not only do I feel they are as effective as the cultivation rooms, but even maybe more so. Also the ability to battle to against what felt like real life enemies was so surprising. It's like you own your very own secret realm!"
"You are Daoist Mei Lingxue?", Fang Shi asked, "It has been my experience that when you find something good, you're supposed to keep quiet."
The young lady turned to see her Senior brother place his head in his hands as more guests had walked over to hear her describe this strange scenario.
"Pardon me", a man in red robes asked, "Did you say there was an artifact here that made you feel like you were in a secret realm?"
"There certainly is", Fang Shi suddenly smiled at the crowd of visitors, "Unfortunately, many guests did not try this amazing new service, and slandered me. They said I was trying scam them, but as this young lady from Dusty Peak sect said, my service is exceptional."
Several of the customers were some of the cultivators that had dismissed the cultivation pods in favor from the rooms. They had a thoughtful look on their face as they heard the situation play out, because on one hand, she could be working with the owner to drum up business. On the other hand, even 3rd rate sects get better resources than they usually could afford, so they didn't think she would lie.
Many of the guests seem to trust the young lady, so soon after they heard the discussion, they quickly went to check out the second floor.
Peng Hui and Mei Lingxue left not long after seeing Fang Shi to return to their sect. A few days later, Peng Hui would return like clockwork, but today he had to wait in line for a cultivation pod.